Compared with the Effect of Sleep Improvement by Different Extracts from Ganoderma Lucidum Fruit Bodies in Mice

Objective: The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of Ganoderma lucidum fruit body water extract (GLW), ethanol extract (GLE) and polysaccharide (GLP) on sleep improvement in mice, and preliminarily clarify the underlying mechanism. Methods: ICR mice were randomly divided into normal group, positive group (rotundine, 15 mg/kg), GLW (154.2 mg/kg, GLW-H group; 77.1 mg/kg, GLW-L group), GLE group (125.4 mg/kg, GLE-H group; 62.7 mg/kg, GLE-L group), GLP (31.8 mg/kg, GLP-H group; 15.9 mg/kg, GLP-L group) for 30 days. After the last oral administration, direct hypnosis experiment, prolonging pentobarbital sodium sleep time experiment, subthreshold dose of pentobarbital sodium hypnotic experiment and barbital sodium sleep incubation period experiment were conducted. The level of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in brain of mice were measured. Result: Administration with GLW, GLE and GLP did not affect the body weight and viscera index of mice. Administration with GLW-H, GLE-H, GLE-L and GLP-H was no influence of direct sleep in each experimental group within 60 minutes, but it could significantly prolong the sleep time of mice treated with pentobarbital sodium (P<0.05), decrease the sleep incubation period of mice treated with barbital sodium (P<0.05) and increase the level of GABA and 5-HT in brain (P<0.05).But the level of DA was not affected (P>0.05). Additionally, administration with GLE-H could significantly increase the sleep rate of mice treated with subthreshold dosage of pentobarbital sodium (P<0.05). Conclusion: GLW, GLE and GLP could promote sleep of mice via regulating the level of GABA and 5-HT in brain. Under the same dosage of crude drug, the general trend improving sleep of different extracts from Ganoderma lucidum fruit body was as follows: alcohol extract> water extract> polysaccharide.